I am a SEVERE diet coke addict

[cajunthunder]

I don't know about anyone else, but I tried just a sip of the Diet 7up with Splenda and it tasted WAAAAYYYYYY too sweet for me. Maybe your taste buds change, especially after drinking all of this water. I have the occasional iced tea sweetened with sweet n low (just to have a change up from Splenda), but other than that, I'll stick to my water. :capital

That sweet stuff just doesn't do it for me anymore. :nono

[2big4mysize]

die hard DC recovering addict here 24 cans a day. You can give it up and you will not really even want it after a month or two. Splenda soda is way too sweet for me.

[bizzlekitty]

I was a 6-12 cans a day (counting cans, and fast food and restaurants) Diet Coke drinker pre-Atkins. I had cans or liters in the fridge always. I had friends stop and bring me Diet Coke on the way over. I had piles of Diet Coke cans stacking up. I did both caffeine-free and regular. This had been for years and years, as far back as high school where I was able to get it in the locker room vending machine.

Because I drank Diet Coke, I didn't drink much water at all.

Since I started Atkins, I decided to go cold-turkey. I had already been drinking mostly caffeine-free, so I didn't have the caffeine withdrawal too bad. It was hard, regardless. I did have 1-2 cans of Diet Rite grape during Induction, but I still (after 1+ year) have that case of soda since I haven't had more than 1-2 cans of it.

I can't believe the difference it has made. I still have a diet coke on occasion, but it's pretty rare. Now, I drink all water, do not keep anything else to drink in the fridge but cold water. Eating out, I have unsweet tea with/without Splenda, but often with a glass of water.

I drink lots more water and actually crave/like water, where I hadn't before. I feel better (not just Atkins). And the unsweet tea is a nice alternative for a change of pace.

Quit the addiction if you can. I think it hinders your water consumption and who knows what those chemicals are doing to you.

[Kelani]

Originally Posted by John_Morse

Thats probably true. I've been drinking water for the last few days, and I've quit drinking coffee today to see if it speeds up my weight loss. I know I'll be better off without Caffeine, anything that gives you a headache when you quit using it, can't be good for you!

Oh but sooooo untrue. There is always an exception. I see where you were going with the last statement made. However, when you decided to give up those nasty carbs, didn't you have a headache during induction flu ? Gotcha!

[jade]

Hey CThompson,
Here is a question for you: Why do you drink it? I really had to come to grips with that question when I gave up pop/soda altogether this past year ( At the end of this month I will be celebrating 7 months of being 'pop free'. Last December 31st (2004) I drank my last Dr. Pepper. I couldn't start my day without Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb. These drinks are only second to Mt. Dew with regards to the highest level of caffeine. I went cold turkey. I have tried it the other way where you ween yourself off a little at a time but it never worked.)
The main thing I had to contend with was this: Why do I believe I need this? Because as strange as it sounds (my counselor and I talked through this issue) I BELIEVE that this pop is benefiting me in some way. The first week was hard but not impossible. The longer I went without it the easier it got. One thing that helped me was when that little voice would say, 'Wouldn't a nice cold Dr. Pepper over crushed ice taste good right about now?' I would reply, 'That's not an option for me.' I dealt with that decision as soon as I got up in the morning. Most of this issue for me was psychological. Once I had decided that I would not drink it then the battle became easier.
Will I ever drink it again? At this point the thought of drinking pop just makes me want to wretch!
Anyway, just wanted to share my two cents worth. It's a huge decision but I think you will feel so much better if you don't drink it at all.

Hang in there!
jade

[jade]

Hey bizzlekitty,
I noticed that you too have fibromyalgia. I gave up pop/soda cold turkey as well. At the end of this month I will celebrate 7 months pop free!
The thing I noticed right away was how much better I felt! My husband, who is a chemist, read somewhere that it's not so much the caffeine that effected my fibro but the carbonated water! All I know is since I've been off of it, my muscles feel so much better! Eating on Atkins is the bomb too! I feel amazing when I'm on program with regards to my fibro. Because I feel good I exercise more. My own endorphines take over and I don't have to take as many meds for my fibro.
Have you found the same for yours!

Thanks for sharing!
jade

[HoosierBuckeye]

For Diet Rite/Diet Coke w/ Splenda drinkers:

Is there a real difference in taste? After starting Atkins I switched to Diet Rite (1 can a day or less), then cut out soda pretty much completely. Now, however, I want some soda, and so I bought the Diet Coke w/ Splenda because it was cheaper. *Down side: DCwS has caffeine, I know.* Is there a noticeable taste difference? Because I'll bring back the DC if you all have said you don't like it as much as DR. Thanks!

Val

[so not mandi]

I used to drink ALL of my drinks as diet coke. Usually 6-9 cokes a day. Nothing else.

Currently I'm limiting myself like this: I have a diet coke in the morning, one in the afternoon. First, I went from cans to 2-liters, to get used to actually pouring drinks. (Sounds stupid but you have to train yourself not to just grab that quick can first.)

From a 2-liter, I did about 5 oz each serving twice a day. I have a small cup that I use for the diet coke dose. The rest of the day I drink crystal light, water, decaf tea. I plan to cut back to 1 dose of diet coke soon, and then to none. And then I plan to drop off some of the tea. I'll keep the crystal light though, in moderation.

I still get evening caffeine headaches because I have limited myself to absolutely no caffeine after 3pm and my body doesn't get it yet. This is only day 10 so it's still adjusting.

But I do get to sleep earlier.

[so not mandi]

Originally Posted by HoosierBuckeye

For Diet Rite/Diet Coke w/ Splenda drinkers:

Is there a real difference in taste? After starting Atkins I switched to Diet Rite (1 can a day or less), then cut out soda pretty much completely. Now, however, I want some soda, and so I bought the Diet Coke w/ Splenda because it was cheaper. *Down side: DCwS has caffeine, I know.* Is there a noticeable taste difference? Because I'll bring back the DC if you all have said you don't like it as much as DR. Thanks!

Val

Yes, there is a big difference in taste (to me!) It's not horrible, I guess... but I just don't like it. I'd rather drink crystal light or decaf tea or water. I have a 2-liter of it on-hand. It still has caffeine, yeah, but mainly the taste is a very noticeable difference.

I wish they made it with vanilla, maybe it would mask the splenda taste...

[JenDoe]

Well done to everyone who is cutting down / has given up!

I drank two litres of coke a day for about 5 years then managed to switch it for diet coke. Then Last year I managed to get off the coke altogether, but still had cravings for fizzy drinks so started drinking about a litre a day of fizzy faloured water, sprite etc - whatever I wanted at the time...

... now I'm three days "fizz free" and only drinking water. I'm hoping that I can finally break my addiction!